Total births
8,003
Girls' name · since 1958
Raya
8,003 babies named Raya in U.S. Social Security records since 1958, with the highest year being 2023. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- #365
- among girls today
- 8,003
- born since 1958
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Raya is the #365 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 8,003 recorded since 1958.
Social Security Administration records show Raya recorded 8,003 times among girls since 1958, holding rank #365 nationally today, ahead of 98% of girls, peaking in the 2020s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1958 to 2025.
- #365 among girls today
- 8,003 born since 1958
- 2020s peak decade
- 98% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Raya is currently the #365 girls' name in America, more common than 98% of girls - 8,003 born since 1958, peaking in the 2020s.
- #365
- among girls today
- 8,003
- born since 1958
- 2020s
- peak decade
- 98%
- more common than other girls
Raya vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#365
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 98% of names given to girls today.
2020s
Peak decade
53% of everyone ever named Raya was born in this single decade.
2023
Single peak year
867 babies were named Raya in 2023 - its busiest year on record.
How Raya compares
8,003 Top 10% higher than 90% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Raya's all-time total is 21x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Raya | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 8,003 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 867 | 48 | 19,840 |
Raya's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Raya splits its recorded history at 1997: 94% of all births land in the more recent half, 6% in the earlier half, a lean toward present-day use rather than a passing spike. The single quietest year was 1958 (5 births) -- compare that against the 2023 peak of 867 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Raya at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2023
Current rank
#365
Active since
1958
Raya popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1958–2025
- Peak year (2023)
- 867
- Annual births at peak, across 68 years of records
Raya popularity over time - boys
5 total births recorded since 2025 (Raya as boys' name)
Raya by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2020s was Raya's strongest decade.
4,256 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 53% of all-time use.
Raya births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1950s 5
1950s
5 births
- 1960s 16
1960s
16 births
- 1970s 64
1970s
64 births
- 1980s 138
1980s
138 births
- 1990s 385
1990s
385 births
- 2000s 1,052
2000s
1,052 births
- 2010s
2010s
2,087 births
- 2020s
2020s
4,256 births
What this shows Peak: 2020s at 4,256 births (53% of all-time use).
How Raya compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Raya's total volume
Raya vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Raya by state
Where Raya concentrates geographically, total births since 1958
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,021 | 12.8% |
| #2 | Texas | | 526 | 6.6% |
| #3 | New York | | 423 | 5.3% |
| #4 | Florida | | 370 | 4.6% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 307 | 3.8% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 281 | 3.5% |
| #7 | Pennsylvania | | 279 | 3.5% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 229 | 2.9% |
California share of Raya's total US births 12.8%
Even split
1,021 of 8,003 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 47 reporting states.
Raya appears in 47 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Raya? ▼
8,003 babies have been named Raya since 1958. It currently ranks #365 among girls. The peak year was 2023 with 867 births.
When was Raya most popular? ▼
Raya was most popular in the 2020s decade with 4,256 total births. The single peak year was 2023.
Where is Raya most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Raya are California (1,021 births), Texas (526 births), New York (423 births).
How long has the name Raya been used? ▼
Records for Raya go back to 1958, giving 68 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Raya? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Rayna, Rayne, Ray, Raylee, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Raya's data
- California records the most Rayas (1,021 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Raya
Nearby Names Like Raya
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Raya
Rayna Girl
#727 13,386 births
Rayne Girl
#940 8,034 births
Ray Girl
#4776 5,606 births
Raylee Girl
#1257 5,037 births
Raylene Girl
#6433 4,065 births
Compare Raya side by side: Raya vs Rayna Raya vs Rayne Raya vs Ray
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Raya
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1958–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Raya: #365 Girls' Name - 8,003 Births, Peak 2023." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/raya. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Raya draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.